The Belmont City Council stayed up late last night, where they approved a new retirement program for city safety workers and heard from the town’s financial oversight and audit commission who gave the town a clean bill of financial health.

The Council also heard from the community in an open public comments session. The Belmont Police Department announced the winners of the D.A.R.E poster contest, who had their names engraved on a plaque in the Police Department’s lobby, In addition to a pizza party held at Village Host pizza.

In addition, the Secretary of Students from the Student Assembly of Notre Dame University thanked the city and local community for their presence at the candidate’s forum last Thursday, which was setup by NDNU.

Local residents also voiced their concerns over local issues. One resident described Comcast’s presence in Belmont as a ‘monopoly,’ and another commented on vehicles routinely parking in bike lanes.

A representative from School-Force, a local fundraising group for arts classes in elementary schools, commented to the Council regarding the recent Save the Music festival. He thanked the city for their continued contributions to the program, and specifically thanked the newly created Belmont Fire Department for their presence at the festival, which was the first public appearance of the BFD.

He also credited the overwhelming success of the festival to the various performances by NDNU, Cal State, Ralston Middle School and Carlmont.

He went on and thanked Calmont’s Preforming Arts program for the performances by Choir, Dance and the “hundred or so volunteers who helped make the show a reality.”

He also called the new Carlmont Preforming Arts Center “more of a community preforming arts center,” citing the availability to rent the center for events.

After a quick attendance check, the meeting promptly ended at 9:30.